The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-05-14

seeker after sensation. 1t Is simply
a tug, as VIC call our strong and
noisy little towing propellcrs. II bears
no such sign as sthe dead boat it is
not called "the Charon" or" thc StyX."
Its sign announces the familiar word
Fidelity" Thousands see it every day,
and seeing it observe. no difference be-
tween it and the hundreds of tugs that
puff up and whistle busily along our
waterways. Its destination, when It
leaves the funeral wharf at Twenty-sixth
street is Harris island, up where the East
river pours into the sound. This is one
OF chain Of islands made use of by the
city for the maintenance OF its penal and
charitable institutions In needed scpara-
ton from the people and the homes Of
the metropolis. Harris island has upon
ii the infant or founding asylum, a hos
ptal and the Potters field. ..s..5.+g
This Potter's field is simply a tract Of
bare ground unmarked by monuments or
slabs, or even boards, but rapidly be-
coming usurped by the trenches that
necessarily follow one another side by
side in quick succession. Into these
trenches tho city's collins arc lowered
seven on top of one another and nine
end to end. Each coffin, in
place Of the little plate of metal that
loving regard urges us to attach to the
headboard, is marked with number
grooved out of the rough pine with
round chisel. A record is kept of this
number, including all that Is known of
the body that it is meant to help to iden-
tify. or the thousands Of human re.
mains that lie inferred here few will ever
be disturbed. The moaning wife, in the
bare and cherries tenement, who sees
the city's agent carry away the mortal
remains of her husband, VOWS in heart
breaking earnestness that she will work
and toll and save to have that loved dust
returned to her and reinterrcd among its
kin, but the years pass and time brings
no bettermcnt of circumstances. 1t Is SO
with poor mothers, with INDECENT fathers
and sons, whose kindred dying, arc
wrested from them by the law and BY the
logic of necessity. They assure them
selves that they will reclaim their own
bat alas! seldom, very seldom, does the
wheel Of fortune turn SO that they have
the means 10 crafty this natural, earn
cstwish born Of instinct and Of duty. j.
Z Let il be said TO the credit of one class
Of our fcllow.mcn that they seldom
allow so dread n. fate as burial in the
Pottcr's field to ovcrtakc their kind.
These are the Hebrews. Nothing is more
often encountered by visitors to the yard
of Bellevue Hospital tkan the ever.
curious ceremonies of q Jewish burial
service over q coffin resting on the flag.
ging Of the court behind the morguc.
The robcd, bearded rabbi, with his book
In hand, rccites the written words of the
service, while men Of his religion, few or
many us the case may l,e, stand about
with moistcned eyes and uncovered
heads. Often not even tho name o. the
dead Is known; sometimes 1t Is only n
matter of conjecture, that in life tho soul
of a Hebrew inhabited that flesh. In all
cases where the name and religion are
positively known but there is no relative
able to do his duty by the dead, the He.
brew Free Burial Society undertakes the.
humane task and intcrs the remains in
Jewish cemetery with ceremonies such as
all tho dead deserve and with neat grave
and headstone to testify to tho humanity
Of this conscientious people. The so.
'cicty does not undertake burials where
there is nothing but conjecture to ally
tho body with their race, but almost
always it happens that wealthy Hebrews
SEQ the death notice or hear OF the case
and rccompense the society for perform.
ing this rite. The large Hebrew insti.
buttons, their hospitals, homes and asy-
lums, all bury their dead. This is not
espcciallywonderful or praiseworthy, say
you. We'll, perhaps not; but II is not
done by my Christian corporation OF
those sects in the city. Only the Hc.
brews do it. JULIAN RALPH. =.